Hawks Fans booing J-Smoove at Phillips...

[bumpyphish1]

I'm really surprised this has not been discussed more on the 'Squawk considering we all hate seeing Josh hoist up those jumpers and how much that is discussed: Fans have begun to boo at Josh at Phillips for taking outside shots. Yeah, our own fans are booing Josh because now that people are following the Hawks again, even average Joe knows Josh can't shoot a lick. I first noticed it during the Miami game where they were pretty consistent with it throughout the game. During the Boston game during the few he times shot from outside, the boos were a bit more disparsed but definitely present - I dont think the home crowd wanted to boo Josh on national TV, personally.

Anyways, I thought it might be worth mentioning to hear peoples' responses seeing that I have seen one lone post that even referenced this new phenomenon. It's pretty amazing really, especially in ATL. I hate it for Josh personally and maybe for his confidence (as if his FT shooting isnt in need of a boost already), but if he won't listen to Woody, maybe he will listen to the fans and finally play his game and stay within himself. You know it's gotten bad when the fans are letting you know about it....

--On a side not, I want to mention this is my first post after being gone for awhile. Glad to be back and certainly intend to be involved in the discussion. Thanks to Dolfan for being merciful and cool enough to let me back.

[JJFAN4LF]

I thought I was hearing things so I didn't want to say anything. I thought it was me booing inside my head when he took those jumpshots.

[Diesel]

I'm really surprised this has not been discussed more on the 'Squawk considering we all hate seeing Josh hoist up those jumpers and how much that is discussed: Fans have begun to boo at Josh at Phillips for taking outside shots. Yeah, our own fans are booing Josh because now that people are following the Hawks again, even average Joe knows Josh can't shoot a lick. I first noticed it during the Miami game where they were pretty consistent with it throughout the game. During the Boston game during the few he times shot from outside, the boos were a bit more disparsed but definitely present - I dont think the home crowd wanted to boo Josh on national TV, personally.

Anyways, I thought it might be worth mentioning to hear peoples' responses seeing that I have seen one lone post that even referenced this new phenomenon. It's pretty amazing really, especially in ATL. I hate it for Josh personally and maybe for his confidence (as if his FT shooting isnt in need of a boost already), but if he won't listen to Woody, maybe he will listen to the fans and finally play his game and stay within himself. You know it's gotten bad when the fans are letting you know about it....

--On a side not, I want to mention this is my first post after being gone for awhile. Glad to be back and certainly intend to be involved in the discussion. Thanks to Dolfan for being merciful and cool enough to let me back.

I think Josh develops these mental blocks. For instance, he didn't want to be known as a dunker so he stopped dunking and started to play more of a Sf's game. The truth is that Smoove could be one of the best PFs in the game if he just put the ball on the floor and went to the hoop strong. I think Mike Davis would have taught him this in Indiana. Instead, Josh learned his PF game from Antoine Walker and Al Harrington. I disagreed with a lot of what the Lebron but kissers said the other night but the one thing that she said that was true of both Marvin and Smoove is that they never had to come off the bench behind a vet player and I think it has hurt them in a way. NBA basketball is hard enough without having learning on your own added to it.

So if it takes the fans booing Josh for him to figure out that Woody is right.. then so be it... I say boo him and even if he hits a long shot, don't cheer.

[DrReality]

Glad that fans of Atl are being heard. Let him have it . . . . . see if it helps. Nothing else has.

[Hawk88]

Josh is a head case. The guy was a good free throw shooter the last couple of years. Now he gets up there and clunks them. I think he is saying, would you rather see me throw up bricks from behind the 3pt. line or at the charity stripe. Seriously, if Al can't light this guys fire we need to unload him.

Hawk88

[NineOhTheRino]

actually I think they're saying "Smoooooooove"

[tonegully]

I hope they are not saying that. I hope they are booing him all day everytime he even THINKS about a jump shot. Maybe we should start cheering when he gets rebounds and blocks.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

I'm not quite sure about the "booing", but there were definitely a lot of people moaning and groaning whe he jacked up a few of those shots in the Cleveland game. I was sitting beside a woman for that game, and even she commented about the outside shots. Then, when Smoove went to the hole and had that monster dunk, she said . . "I wish he would do that all the time". She even was calling him "soft" . . . a contention that I somewhat agree with.

Like I've always said about him . . . If he'd just play like Shawn Kemp used to play, he'd be an all-star. But if he wants to be Rasheed Wallace, he'll never reach his potential.

[mrhonline]

I'd rather him take threes than those 20 foot jump shots...

[ATLSmith]

Yip, it is booing. The fans seem to cheer louder when he drives to the basket on his next attempt so I think he's getting some positive reinforcement too.

[Tex]

Yep, definite boos after long jumpers during the Miami game. They were not as noticeable during tha Cleveland game.

Someone who is making less than 60% from the free throw line shouldn't be taking long two's or three's unless the clock shot is expiring.

[WraithSentinel]

I brought this up in the chatroom in the Heat game. Didn't get much of a response. Another fan heard the samething in the Cavs game. It didn't get much of a response either.

[Spiral]

What I don't get is why he has regressed in his shooting so much... Most people improve from year to year, but his shooting has really fallen off. He was never very good to start with, but he did go through spells where it did fall consistantly. My immediate thought he has a bit of an awkward form. It's almost as if he cranks it from behind his head rather than your traditional jumpshot.

IMO... the free throw problem is a more of a confidence thing than anything else. I doubt Josh will ever be above 80% from the stripe, but below 60% is crazy. He has officially made himself a liability on the floor late in games. We may see an opponent employ the hack-a-smoove at some point.

Edited March 4, 2009 by Spiral

[bumpyphish1]

What I don't get is why he has regressed in his shooting so much... Most people improve from year to year, but his shooting has really fallen off. He was never very good to start with, but he did go through spells where it did fall consistantly. My immediate thought he has a bit of an awkward form. It's almost as if he cranks it from behind his head rather than your traditional jumpshot.

IMO... the free throw problem is a more of a confidence thing than anything else. I doubt Josh will ever be above 80% from the stripe, but below 60% is crazy. He has officially made himself a liability on the floor late in games. We may see an opponent employ the hack-a-smoove at some point.

Yeah, the regression is pretty puzzling. I think you can put it squarely on the shoulders of two people: Josh and Woody.

He is killing my fantasy team right now with the FT %! And I drafted him in the first round for his blocks!

[lethalweapon3]

The discernible "NOOOOO!" you hear a split second before the booing is emanating from Section 209.

~lw3

[JackB1]

What I don't get is why he has regressed in his shooting so much... Most people improve from year to year, but his shooting has really fallen off. He was never very good to start with, but he did go through spells where it did fall consistantly. My immediate thought he has a bit of an awkward form. It's almost as if he cranks it from behind his head rather than your traditional jumpshot.

It's called laziness. He got his big contract and probably no longer feels the need for trivial things like practicing free throws. The kid never had any discipline. He came right out of college and Woody lets him do what he wants. Until he learned how to make 70%, he needs to be sitting on the 4th qtrs of close games.